NSBA Advocacy Needs Your Support

Increasing Funding for America's Public Schools
NSBA and our dedicated grassroots network members have been lobbying Congress to increase funding for education as a part of the "Campaign to Restore Funding for America's Schoolchildren." At this time, it is uncertain whether Congress will extend the current continuing resolution for education until the beginning of the 110th Congress. If so, current FY 2006 funding levels would likely apply to all education programs until a final FY 2007 spending bill is passed. Congress could consider an alternative by passing an omnibus appropriations bill that would include all remaining FY 07 spending bills.&nbs! p; If so, specific program allocations may not be disclosed until after final passage, leaving little or no opportunity to oppose cuts to education. Additionally, the number of earmarks for special projects could soar in an omnibus spending bill, which could affect final FY 07 spending levels for education.

NSBA opposes the pending House and Senate bills in their current forms, which would underfund Title I and IDEA by more than $18 billion. NSBA will begin lobbying for funding increases to Title I and IDEA in FY 2008 as well, in order to be proactive before the President's budget proposal is released in January and to ensure that education funding is a top budget priority of the new 110th Congress.

Pledge to America's Schoolchildren
Please join NSBA's newest campaign --the Pledge to America's Schoolchildren. You can get involved by contacting your United States Senators and Representatives, urging them to sign the Pledge to America's Schoolchildren, which includes five broad, bipartisan goals for the 110th Congress—from improving NCLB to supporting 21st century skills needed for global competitiveness. A grassroots action alert is available on the Pledge Campaign website at http://www.pledgetoamericasschoolchildren.org/grassroots.php

Currently, the Pledge has the bipartisan support of almost 50 members of Congress. NSBA is actively engaged in securing more signatures. Federation Members are also utilizing the Pledge in an effort to establish solid working relationships with newly elected members of Congress